Communication in Mozambique

I applied for the Peace Corps for many reasons. I am beyond grateful for the luck I have had being born into my family. That came with a lot of privileges, ones that I've been having a harder time taking for granted the older I get. For the past couple of years, I have been living back in my hometown, a place full of beautiful houses, nice cars, and well-manicured lawns. People here face their own personal challenges, I'm sure, but the material wealth is very present. I have a habit of listening to news podcasts while I run through these prosperous neighborhoods and the contrast between what I'm seeing and what I am hearing is striking. I don't think that serving in the Peace Corps will change the world, but it is an organization that is trying to address the resource disparity by sending those of us who can afford it to a place that needs some extra helping hands. I don't currently have obligations keeping me here and have a great support system that helps me feel like this is the right time to join. Doing this makes me feel a little less helpless in the face of the inequity out there.

Another reason is the adventure. I never spent a semester abroad in college or lived outside the US for more than a month. I am really excited to learn about a new culture, and probably through that, more about my own culture. I know I will learn a lot about myself, as well. However, I don't feel like I need to be in the most remote village, without water or electricity, to have the life-changing experience I'm looking for. I'm almost 30. While I am gone, some of my friends will be getting married or having babies. I want to hear about it and see pictures! So I was thrilled to find out that most education volunteers in Mozambique do, in fact, have electricity. And I was even more excited to find out that cell coverage has expanded rapidly over the last few years and most volunteers can get internet access through unlocked smartphones.

Hopefully, I will be able to continue to blog when I am there, as well as talk on the phone and email. I am sure that speeds will be much slower and coverage will be spotty, but it is nice to know that I will be somewhat reachable.  I can also receive mail and would love to get letters, postcards and pictures from anyone who has a few minutes to send something! I think that even with an internet connection, a letter will make me feel a lot less lonely.

Below is an excerpt from the information provided by the Peace Corps Mozambique staff for friends and family of volunteers regarding communication. The address listed can be used while I am in training (until December) and I will update with a PO address if I choose to get one once I have my permanent placement. There are also some good tips from a current volunteer about mailing things to Mozambique on her blog here.

1. Irregular Communication. (Please see #3 for the mailing address to Peace Corps' office in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique). Mail in Mozambique is fairly reliable. Volunteers find they generally receive mail and packages from the United States two to four weeks after it has been sent. The same is true in sending mail from Mozambique. Of course, there are exceptional cases in which a letter or a package might arrive within a shorter period or be substantially delayed. Some mail may simply not arrive. We suggest that in your first letters you ask the Volunteer to give an estimate of how long it takes for him/her to receive your letters, and then try to establish a predictable pattern of how often you will write to each other. Also, try numbering your letters so that the Volunteer knows if he/she has missed one.

2. Telephone Calls. Telephone lines in Mozambique are not very reliable. During Pre-service Training (the first 10 weeks), opportunities for the Trainees to call the United States will be limited. Volunteers may or may not have residential phones; however, most Volunteers choose to buy cell phones, use public phones, or find that a neighbor or the organization they work with has a phone they are able to use to make and receive calls on. They will be able to inform you of telephone numbers where you might reach them once they arrive at their permanent sites.

3. Sending packages. Parents and Volunteers like to send and receive care packages through the mail. Even though many Volunteers choose to get local post office boxes, you may also use the following address to send letters and/or packages:

Name of Volunteer, PCV
Corpo da Paz/U. S. Peace Corps
C.P. 4398
Maputo,
MOZAMBIQUE

It is recommended that packages be sent in padded envelopes if possible, as boxes tend to be taxed more frequently. For lightweight but important items (e.g. airline tickets), DHL (an express mail service) does operate in Maputo. If you choose to send items through DHL, you must address the package to a physical address & include the phone number: the Name of Volunteer, PCV, c/o U. S. Peace Corps Mozambique, Avenida Zimbabwe 345, Maputo, Mozambique (the phone number for the Peace Corps office in Mozambique is 258-21-499-082. No liability can be assumed by Peace Corps. For more information about DHL, please call their toll free number, 1-800-CALL-DHL, or visit their web site at www.dhl.com. Other courier services may operate in Maputo - DHL is only one possibility.